US judge won't help Samsung in Japanese suit against Apple

Samsung's latest legal maneuver in its ongoing patent war with Apple has been shot down by a US court. The company was attempting to get Judge Paul S. Grewal to issue a subpoena demanding that Apple turn over evidence so it could use it in a case getting underway in Japan. The evidence included the iPhone used on stage by Steve Jobs during the device's unveiling in 2007 and another used in a demonstration video posted to Apple's website.

Judge Grewal denied the request on the grounds that it appeared Samsung was attempting to circumvent the discovery process of the Japanese tribunal hearing the case. In essence, he stated that the foreign court should have the chance to go through its normal procedure before a US court becomes involved. To that end, Samsung will have the opportunity to make its request again once the Japanese court has concluded the discovery process. We're guessing it'll have to pinky promise not to lose a piece of Apple history -- the first iPhone ever shown to the public -- if its request is granted.